NRC sets hearing on Sequoyah Nuclear Power license extension

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct two public hearings next month in Soddy-Daisy to present its findings that TVA should be allowed to continue to operate the Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant for another 20 years.

The NRC's draft environmental impact statement recommends that the current 40-year operating license for Sequoyah, which was granted in 1980, be extended another two decades until 2040.

The public hearings on the NRC study are scheduled at meetings from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sept. 17 at Soddy-Daisy City Hall, 9835 Dayton Pike.

The Sequoyah plant has two pressurized water reactors. Construction of the twin-reactor complex on the Tennessee River began in 1969 and was completed in 1980. The operator, Tennessee Valley Authority, submitted its renewal application Jan. 15, 2013.